Tomato peeling machine



Oct. 16, 1934. v cARpENTlERl 1,976,710

TOMATO FEELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 51; 1931 INVENTOR.' Vitae/$20@pexdzerc,

WMKW ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1934 TOMATO PEELING MACHINE VincenzoCarpentieri, Mercato St. Severino, Italy Application December 31, 1931,Serial no. 584,255 In Italy January 14, 1931 Claims.

The present invention relates to peeling machines, more particularly toa machine for removing the skin off tomatoes or the like, and has forone of its main objects to provide means 5 whereby the peeling operationmay be done rapidly and economically.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of amachine of the character mentioned wherein are embodied a series offrusto-conical tubes made of elastic material, such as'rubber, adaptedto receive the tomatoes to be peeled, and associated with progressivepressure applying means capable of extruding the tomato from said tubeto which the peelings would adhere.

It is also among the desired features of the invention to provide meanscapable of adequately receiving and discharging the peeled tomatoes fromthe machine, and means for thoroughly 0 cleaning the machine of thepeelings after they have been removed from the tomatoes.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readilyunderstood by those persons skilled in the art, I have in theaccompanying drawing and in the detailed description based thereupon,set out a possible embodiment of the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a face elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a section taken online 2-2 of Figure 1 shown in section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail showing the manner ofmounting the tubes upon the drum, and

Figure 4 is asimilar view showing the device in operation.

Having more particular reference to the draw: ing wherein likecharacters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout, myimproved device may be stated to comprise a base 1 provided with anintegral standard 2 formed at 45 its upper end portion with a supportingbearing 3 receiving a horizontally disposed stub shaft 4 stationarilylocked onto said standard 2 by means of a nut 5 or the like in screwthreaded engagement with one endof said shaft.

Rotatably mounted upon the shaft 4, is a drum 6 having an open front andpreferably provided with a sleeve"? extending centrally from the rearwall and slidable over said shaft. It is to be noted that the length ofthe shaft 4 is such that 5;. its free end slightly projects within thedrum 6.

The drum 6 may be rotated by means of a pulley 8 rigid with the sleeve 7and driven by any suitable well known powerdevice such as an electricmotor.

Formed at relatively spaced points on the peripheral portion. of thedrum 6, is a plurality of shouldered openings 9, withineach of which isfixed by means of an apertured clamping plate 10, a frusto-conical tube11- made of elastic materlal, preferably of stout rubber. The tubes 11normally extend radially from the inner peripheral surface of the drum 6but terminate short of the axis of the latter.

Secured to the free extremity of the shaft 4, that is, that extremityslightly projecting within the drum 6, is an arm 12, This arm is afiixedto the shaft 4 in an angular position, as clearly shown in Figure 1 ofthe drawing, and extends upwardly in close proximity to the innerperipheral surface of the drum 6. The upwardly extended 'end of the arm12 carries a roller 13 disposed to 1 parallel the peripheral surface ofthe drum 6 and positioned to engage eachtube 11 for applying acontinuous progressive pressure thereto, as they move with the drum,'inthe manner and for the purpose to be later described.

Below said roller, are supported atdifferent points of the fixed arm 12,a pair of trough-like members 14 and 15, respectively, each projectingoutwardly of the drum 6 for the purpose'to be hereinafter specified.

Provided upon the outer peripheral surface of the drum 6, near the tubereceiving openings 9 thereof, are outstanding lugs 16 adapted, withmovement of the drum, to successively come in contact and open a springactuated valve 1'? of a water discharge conduit 18 arranged adjacent thedrum and positioned to register with each opening 9 of the latter whenits corresponding lug- 16 opens the valve.

In using my improved device, a tomato T or the like, which, preferably,has been previously soaked in boiling water as is customary, is droppedinto the frusto-conical tube 11 when the same assumes a substantiallyvertical position as is represented at A in Figure 1 of the drawing.With continued rotation of the drum 6 in the direction indicated by thearrow in the drawing-the tube into which the tomato has been introduced,comes in contact with the roller 13 carried by the fixed arm 12,, andthe tube, being'made of elastic material, lies over said roller. Thus,the roller causes deformation of the tube, which is forced against theadjacent surface of the drum and assumes the position more clearly shownin Figure 4 of the drawup ing. In so doing, the roller applies aprogressive pressure to the tube, which pressure is transmitted to thetomato causing the same to slide within the tube.-

It will be understood that since the frictional engagement between theinner surface of the tube and the tomato skin is greater than theadherence of the skin to the tomato, the latter will burst the skin andslide out of the tube 'in a peeledconditioruwhereupon it will fall intothe trough-like member 14 and be delivered thereby out of the drum 6.

It will be noted that the diameter of the conical tube at its largerend, is of a size sufficient to permit the tomato to fall some distancewithin said tube before it frictionally engages the latter, whereby theroller 13 will engage the tube at a point above the tomato'introducedtherein, thus assuring the forcing of the tomato out of the restrictedend of the tube without detrimental crushing or bruising.

The skins or peelings P, because of their extreme thinness, remainwithin the tube until the drum. through continued rotation, brings saidtube opposite the water discharge conduit 18, whereupon the lug 16 willopen the valve 17 permitting a stream of water to fiow into the tubecleaning the same and forcing the peelings out into' the trough-likemember 15 which will collect the latter and convey the same out of themachine.

Manifestly, the construction herein shown is capable of considerablemodification and such modifications as come within. the scope of myclaims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:-

1. A device of the character described comprising a movable bodyportion, a fruit receiving and retaining deformable tube of elasticvmaterial carried by said body portion and movable therewith, meansfixedly mounted in relation to said body portion and disposed in thepath of said tube moving with the body portion thereby deforming thetube and applying pressure thereto for forcing the fruit through thetube whereby the fruit will be forced out and conveyed away from thepeelings adhering by friction to the surface of said tube.

2. A device of the character described comprising a movable bodyportion, a fruit receiving and retaining deformable tube of elasticmaterial carried by said body portion and movable therewith, meansfixedly mounted in relation to said body portion thereby deforming thetube and applying pressure thereto, whereby the fruit will be forced outand conveyed away from the peelings adhering by friction to the surfaceof saidrtube, and means discharging a fluid in said tube for removingthe peelings therefrom.

3. A device of the character described comprising a drum mounted forrotation and having a plurality of relatively spaced openings formedupon its peripheral portion, a deformable elastic tube secured to thedrum within each of the openings thereof for receiving and retaining thefruit to be peeled, means mounted in fixed relation with said drum anddisposed in the path of said tube thereby deforming the same andapplying pres sure thereto, whereby to force the fruit through said tubeand convey the fruit away from the peelings adhering by friction to thesurface of said tube.

4. A device of the character described comprising a drum mounted forrotation and having a plurality of spaced openings formed at itsperipheral surface, adeformable elastic tube secured to the drum withineach of the openings thereof for receiving and retaining the fruit to bepeeled, means mounted in fixed relation to said drum and disposed in thepath of the tubes, whereby to deform the same and apply pressure theretoto force the fruit through said tube and convey the fruit away from thepeelings adhering by friction to the surface of said tube, fluiddischarging means mounted adjacent said drum and adapted to registersuccessively with each opening in the latrelatively spaced openings, adeformable elastic tube having frusto-conical formation and secured. tothe drum within each of the openings thereof for receiving and retainingthe fruit to be peeled therein, an arm stationarily secured to saidshaft and disposed within the drum, a roller carried by said arm inclose proximity to the inner peripheral surface of the drum andpositioned in the path of the tubes moving with the drum, whereby toapply aprogressive pressure to the tube causing the removal of the skinfrom the tomato and the exclusion of the latter, a trough-like memberfor receiving the peeled tomato extruded from the tubes, meansdischarging a fluid in said tube for removing the skins therefrom, and atrough-like member conveying the peelings removed from thetubes awayfrom the drum.

VINCENZO CARPENTIERI.

